As Tim Pawlenty visits the Sunshine State, Florida Democratic Party Chairman Rod Smith today held a conference call blasting Pawlenty for his failed economic policies in Minnesota which left the state with its largest deficit in history and drove up taxes for 90 percent of residents, putting the burden squarely on the backs of Minnesota’s middle class.

The truth is that as Minnesota’s governor, he left the state with a record projected deficit of $6.2 billion, leaving it to the next administration to fix. After leaving his mess in Minnesota, he moved on and launched his own bid for President while the State shut down for 20 days.

Not to be outdone by his own disastrous record as Minnesota Governor, as a presidential candidate Pawlenty has embraced the radical “cut, cap and balance” plan that would place the burden of resolving the debt ceiling crisis on the backs of Florida seniors and the most vulnerable Americans. This plan would have a devastating effect on Florida’s seniors, requiring deep cuts to Medicare and social security. And it would cut programs for the most vulnerable, like food stamp benefits and Medicaid.

Chairman Rod Smith said:

“Tim Pawlenty is just like the rest of the Republican presidential field – he’s all too eager to take us back to the policies that got us into this economic crisis, but he has no real ideas to make us more innovative or better educated than our global competition.

“When he had a chance to lead, he placed the burden on middle class families. And the radical ‘cut cap and balance’ plan he’s endorsed leaves seniors and the most vulnerable Americans to pick up a greater share of the burden.

“From his support of tax cuts for the wealthy to pulling the rug out from middle class families, Tim Pawlenty has already proved that he didn’t work for Minnesota, let’s not give him a chance to prove again that he doesn’t work and won’t work for working families.”

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